Round the Twist and Back Again
by TristenX
Summary: NOT a time travel fic. Just a slightly ambitious Harry and a Slytherin Ron.
1. Chapter 1

**July 31, 1989**

It was late at night when a small bespectacled kid sat in the cupboard under the stairs. See it was the black-haired kid's birthday, and like every other birthday his relatives had ignored it. Oh, but this birthday was different, yes, Harry Potter had a plan. He had waited all day long until after his _family _had finished eating their dinner. While his Uncle Vernon had contently patted his belly after a delicious meal. Young Harry had went up and tentatively asked him why he had not received cakes or presents like Dudley, his cousin, did on his birthday. Oh, but this proved to be a horrible idea, as his uncle had called him an "ungrateful little snot" and taken to beating his hindquarters with his leather belt, and tossed him into his _room_ under the stairs.

It was this Harry, at now nine years of age, who cried to himself, wondering why it was he was so unloved. It was with a tear-stained face and a heavy heart that he finally fell asleep.

The next day was not an unusual one he awoke to the dulcet sounds of his Aunt Petunia beating his door shouting at him to get up. Funny thing about Aunt Petunia, she looked so different from the rest of the family. See she was incredibly skinny, while her husband and son could pass as human looking walruses. He was to prepare breakfast for the family, after which was his healthy dose of chores. His chores ranged anywhere from weeding the garden to cleaning the house, after which he would go to the local library to stay out off the house for as long as possible.

It wasn't that Harry was overly fond of books and reading but libraries were one of the few places that his cousin wouldn't follow him into and thus granted him a respite from his bullying antics. That's not to say he didn't read at all, no, he learned everything he could for when he was older. Now he wasn't one of those people who learned everything they could just so they could be a know-it-all but he was a firm believer in learning useful things. It started when he was six, he had just badly prepared breakfast for his relatives and his uncle had spanked him for burning the toast and bacon. So he had learned how to cook from a book. He had gradually gotten better and had made his relatives somewhat happy, or at least as happy as he could make them.

**A/N: yes, I know not a real thrilling first chapter but I wanted to get it out since I plan on skipping ahead in Ch. 2 but I wanted to get Harry and his family introduced. Also I'm an American so I would appreciate some help with the Briticisms in the future. **


	2. Chapter 2

**July 24, 1991**

It was one week before Harry's eleventh birthday. He had spent the last month under close observation from his uncle because of the stunt that _he_ had pulled during Dudley's birthday trip to the zoo. He didn't know what had made the glass disappear but he didn't believe that it was tied to him. Though that didn't stop him from thoroughly enjoying the moment.

As Harry set his uncle's breakfast in front of him he heard the mail slot swing closed announcing the delivery of today's post.

"Go get the post, boy" Vernon commanded.

Happy to be out from under their oppressive glares, he walked into the entry hall and picked up the mail. He quickly flipped through the letters until he came across one with his name.

_Mr. H. Potter_

_The cupboard under the stairs_

_Little Whining, Surrey_

He quickly slid the letter into his cupboard and proceeded to take the rest of the mail to his waiting uncle.

Later that night, he sat alone in his room and opened the letter.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_It is our pleasure to inform you that you have been _

_invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_A list of all the supplies that you will need has been included _

_in the letter. Please note that all acceptances must be _

_returned by owl no latter than July 31__st__ ._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor McGonagall, Assistant Headmistress _

Harry looked uncertainly at the letter thinking that it was some kind of joke. The Dursleys had been telling him for years that their was no such thing as magic. But Harry couldn't think of anyone who would want to prank him or at least not like this. Dudley might but this kind of thing was much too intelligent for the overgrown whale of a boy. Besides if Dudley wanted to be mean to him he would just gang up on him with his other five bully friends. For the time being he decided to dismiss the letter as someone's idea of a stupid prank.

Imagine Harry's surprise when there were three more of the same letter the next day.

_This is getting ridiculous, _Harry thought. _I mean I get trying to pull one over on me, haha, but this is going to get costly if this is there response to me just ignoring their prank._ So Harry just threw the letters away without anyone the wiser.

Another couple of days went by with the same results everyday a couple more letters would show up with the normal post. His curiosity was finally starting to get the best of him, so he decided that he would write back asking for more information on the school.

_Dr. Professor McGonagall,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I am most_

_interested in learning more about Hogwarts. _

_I would appreciate if you or one of your associates _

_could tell me more about it. I don't understand the _

_Witchcraft and Wizardry part as magic doesn't exist _

_but your most unusual letters have left me quite _

_confused as to how to proceed._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

_Now, _he thought, _how does one go about _owling _a letter._ Harry was not stupid, he had seen the owls out and about after he checked the post, and he had heard of carrier pigeons. So he decided to sneak out the back door when he heard his Uncle Vernon begin to snore. He stood out in the back yard waving the letter in the air feeling like an idiot._ Great, _he thought, _if this is what the prankster wanted then now would be the time to jump out with the camera._

"Hello," he called out gently, "I need an owl to take this letter to Professor McGonagall." To his immense surprise an owl came swooping down to land on the top of the fence. He cautiously approached it waiting to see what would happen, all thoughts of a prank gone from his mind. He sighed in relief when the brown owl stuck its leg out for him to attach the letter to what looked like a specially designed holster for such things.

After having tied the letter to its leg and watched it take off. Harry crept silently back into the house. He lied down with a smile on his face for the first time in years anticipating the events that had been set in motion from his activities that night.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry was in the kitchen of Number 4, Privet Drive clearing up after his lunch, his aunt about to send him back out into the garden, when they heard a knocking at the door.

"Harry go check the door." his aunt commanded as she sat down at the table to read her gossip magazines. Harry went on his way to do his aunt's bidding thinking it would probably be one of the neighbor's coming over to have tea and share gossip with Petunia, however upon opening the door he was surprised to see a slightly aged woman in a grey business suit.

"Good afternoon ma'am, how may I help you?" he inquired.

The woman stared at him for a moment as if lost in thought. As the seconds passed by Harry was beginning to grow suspicious of the woman when his aunt called, "Who is it?" as she came walking into the foyer.

"How may I help you?" Petunia inquired again. This seemed to snap the woman from her thoughts.

"I am looking for a Mrs. Petunia Dursley and a Mr. Harry Potter."

"Well, I am Mrs. Dursley, what has the boy done this time?" The woman seemed taken aback for a moment at the careless way she spoke about her nephew, but pressed on regardless. "I am Deputy Headmistress, Professor Minerva McGonagall from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I am here in reply to Mr. Potters letter concerning the validity of our school."

"_Letter, _What letter, no one sent any letter that I know of." Petunia seemed to shriek, before lowering her voice before any of the neighbors started noticing.

"Aunt Petunia," Harry called meekly from behind her, "I received a letter from that school a couple of days ago when Uncle Vernon told me to check the mail. I slipped it into my _room _before bringing you the rest of it."

"You little sneak thief, stealing the mail right out from under our noses after all we have done for you," she started in after the boy, McGonagall following her into the house, "your uncle and I swore we wouldn't permit you to learn that freakishness when we took you in and I won't tolerate it do you-" she was cut off mid-sentence by the silencing charm cast by the professor when she turned to start ranting at her.

"Now really, Mrs. Dursley that is no way to talk to your nephew. Harry," she said turning to the young boy, "does your aunt normally talk to you in this manner?"

"Umm… yes ma'am," he replied, "as does my uncle, but what do they me to learn it, what are they talking about?"

"You, Mr. Potter, are a wizard like your parents before you. Are you telling me that your aunt has not seen fit to tell you about your past?"

"She told me that my parents died in a car accident and that I was set on their doorstep, but no other than that and a few comments about my parents being drunken lay bouts, they have not told me a thing about my parents."

McGonagall seemed to go ashen at this revelation, "D-d-drunken lay bouts," she stuttered in outrage as she turned on Petunia, "How could you say such horrid things about such two wonderful people you..you..agrh." she spun back around to Harry, "your parents were two of the most marvelous students that I have ever had the pleasure to teach. The were two of the most brilliant witch and wizard I have ever known, and let no one tell you otherwise."

"Mr. Potter," she stated holding out her wand, "this is a wand, it is the primary tool of all witches and wizards and I used it to cast a silencing charm on your aunt to stop her from yelling at you. Now you are a wizard and if you chose to you may attend our school and learn how to properly cast magic of your own. Would that be acceptable to you?"

"Oh, definitely," Harry replied.

McGonagall proceeded to remove the charm from Mrs. Dursley, "Now you do not have to pay for his schooling, his entire tuition has been paid for by his parents in advance, so now will you allow him to attend."

"Well, it doesn't really seem like I have a choice in the matter." Petunia replied snidely.

McGonagall turned to Harry, "Harry is there anything you need to pack to take with you, after we buy your school supplies I will put you up in a room for the remainder of your summer."

"No ma'am, I am ready to go whenever you are." And with that she took his hand and apparated away.


	4. Chapter 4

Professor McGonagall and Harry Potter appeared in the designated apparition zone for Diagon Alley. Upon releasing the professor's hand Harry was doubled over gasping for breath.

"What..was..that?" he asked through deep pulls of breath.

"That was apparition, and it is one of the main methods of transportation of wizarding kind," she told him, "it does take some getting used to, it is quite uncomfortable at first."

'_A little warning would have been nice' _Harry thought but didn't want to come off as rude to his guide.

"Now the first thing that we need to do is to procure you a room for the next month so that we will have somewhere to take the items that you purchase today. We will be heading to the Leaky Cauldron, which has room and board and is the main entrance from the muggle side."

"Muggle?" Harry inquired.

"It is the common term for a non-magical person as referred to by the majority of our society."

The pub was only a few feet away from the apparition point and before they knew it the were standing at the bar of a pub and McGonagall was talking to a bald, elderly gentleman who seemed to be missing the majority of his teeth.

"Now Tom I am going to be putting young Mr. Potter up in one of your rooms for the next month until school starts, he will be back before dark every evening and he will tell you when he is going out, but please do not tell anyone he is here is that understood. Do you understand Mr. Potter." upon receiving an affirmative from them both, "Now how much will that be."

"I wouldn't think o' chargin' Mr. Potter for stayin' her ma'am, after all 'es done for us."

"Now Tom I insist how much for one room for a month." "If you be wantin' to pay that badly miss then it'll be twenty Galleons."

"Tom that doesn't seem like the right price for room and board for a month."

"Well, that's all I'm takin' since you won't take it for free."

The professor accepted the old barkeeps courtesy and after paying ushered Harry quietly out the back door back into the alley.

"Now the next place we need to head is to Gringotts, that's the wizarding bank. It is run by goblins, which are small mean looking creatures and the handle business in a manner similar to the appearance."

"Professor," he began, "why wouldn't the owner accept money for me renting one of his rooms."

She pulled him over to the side out of the main flow of traffic in the alley, "That man's name is Tom, Harry, and well, you are famous in our world. Before you were born there was a Dark Wizard who was attempting to take over, and all who got in his way were killed by him and his followers. On Halloween of 1981 he came to your parents house in Godric's Hallow and murdered your parents, and when he turned his wand on you, his curse rebounded onto him and destroyed him, you are known as the Boy-Who-Lived by most of society and also the only person to have ever survived the killing curse. I know probably not what you would want to be known for but that is why you are famous and if anybody knew where you were you would probably be mobbed with well-wishers. So I told Tom not to let anyone know that you were there."

The continued there walk to the bank in silence. Once there Harry started at the site of the tellers, despite McGonagall's warning that they weren't human he definitely hadn't be expecting the small, ugly creatures with hooked noses and sharp pointy teeth that sat before him.

"Yes," he heard the professor say to one of the tellers, "we are here to make a withdrawal from Mr. Potter's vault."

"And does Mr. Potter have his key,"

McGonagall handed over the key to the teller who promptly looked it over for evidence of counterfeiting, seeing nothing wrong with it he called for another goblin to take them to vault 687.

Upon arriving the goblin took the key and opened the door. Harry stood slack-jawed for a moment as he took in the sight of stacks upon stacks of gold silver and bronze.

"The gold ones are called Galleons and there are seventeen silver Sickles to one gold Galleon and there are twenty-nine bronze Knuts to one silver Sickle. You will get one hundred Galleons and put them in this bag, which has a feather-light charm on it and that will be your spending money for school and should also get you through the week."

"How does that change over to muggle money?" "Well each Galleon is worth approximately five pounds, updated exchange rates are available at the currency exchange desk." replied their goblin escort. McGonagall truly enjoyed seeing the wondrous expressions on the faces of muggleborns, that's why she always volunteered to do the introductions during the summer, but it was almost saddening to see that wonder on Harry's face since he should have been raised in this world from the start, or at the very least informed by his _family_ about his past. It was very disheartening to the teacher that the savior of their world and the son of two of her favorite students had been treated so badly.

"The first thing we will pick up is your wand. We'll be heading to Ollivander's Wands that's where practically everyone in Britain gets there wands at."

Upon walking into the dark, old looking shop they were greeted by an eccentric, gray-haired man.

"Ah.. Mr. Potter I wondered when I would be seeing you. Now which hand is your wand arm?"

"Uh..well I am right handed." upon saying this he was set upon by an enchanted tape measurer.

Mr. Ollivander walked off into the back mumbling to himself and came back with several different boxes. He opened them to reveal wands of varying size and colors. He began handing them to Harry to try out and would almost immediately take them back muttering about it not being a good fit. After about an hour of failed matches he came back with a dust covered box and handed the wand to Harry.

Harry felt a flood of warmth surge through his body and when he waved the wand sparks shot out of the end of it.

"Holly and Phoenix feather, nice and supple, a good wand for most branches of magic." Mr. Ollivander stated. "That will be seven Galleons."

After paying for the purchase they put the wand back in the box and went back into the alley, where he was promptly led to a store labeled "Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions".

"Mr. Potter here we will be getting you a complete new wardrobe so that you don't have to where those oversized _things_ anymore. He will be getting some basic muggle wear as well." McGonagall told the salesperson. "Alright professor," she turned to address Harry, "if you'll step over here we'll get you measured and fitted for your robes." The process didn't take nearly as long as finding him a matching wand and only cost him twenty-five Galleons.

The trip to the apothecary was a short one only picking up the necessary potion supplies.

Then came the trip to the book store. Harry had never seen so many books in his life, stacked in ways that could have only been supported by magic. Looking at his list he went through and picked out the necessary books plus a couple of wizarding history books to study up on the culture at large.

"This reminds me professor, what subject do you teach?" he asked as the got in line.

"I teach transfiguration, the art of changing one object into another." "That sounds amazing and do you believe this is a good book for the subject?" "It is not the best book but it is perfectly adequate for teaching beginners, we the teachers are allowed to select the book that is for our subject on the list that one will be suitable to your purpose for the next couple of years." she assured him.

As there shopping trip came to an end, the professor led him to his room for the night and helped him get settled in.

"Tom will be up shortly to see if you would like some supper. Also I will be in and out of the alley for the next couple of weeks introducing muggleborns to the magical world and will check up on you when I can. So behave yourself. Goodnight Mr. Potter."

And with that she left him to his own devices.


End file.
